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Articles by Jack Blatherwick
Ms. Hockey finalists named
The five finalists for the Ms. Hockey Award have been named. Ella Boerger (Andover), Ellah Hause (Hill-Murray), Suzy Higuchi (Blake), Lauren O'Hara (Centennial/Spring Lake Park) and Kamryn Van Batavia (Luverne) will vie for the award with the winner being announced Sunday, Feb. 26 at the annual Ms. Hockey Banquet at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
10 Semifinalists named for Ms. Hockey Award
Ten Semifinalists have been named for the coveted Ms. Hockey Award, presented by Let’s Play Hockey, the Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association, and the Minnesota Wild. The list will be narrowed to five finalists on Feb. 17 with the winner named on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the annual Ms. Hockey Banquet at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Players are nominated by their coaches and then voted on by a select committee of high school and college coaches in Minnesota.
How to build athletes
In many of my parent talks, I emphasize how genetics plays a significant role in determining where an athlete will ultimately compete – the higher you go, the more genetics becomes a factor. If you lack significant fast twitch muscle fibers, you can’t be an Olympic sprinter. If your wingspan is less than your height (or even equal to it), you are incredibly unlikely to play professional basketball.
Remembering Tom Kurvers
A native of Bloomington, Kurvers starred at Jefferson before playing his college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth. He capped-off his playing career with the Bulldogs by winning the Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA Hockey, in 1984. During his senior year of 1983-84, Kurvers registered 76 points in 43 games while leading the Bulldogs to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Frozen Four.
Better Late Than Never
“It’s definitely a balance of trying not to be a victim because we get to do something that we love and we’re all very aware of that and it’s why we are successful at what we do,” says team USA forward Kelly Pannek. There’s nothing new about Minnesotan’s escaping the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes’ for warmer climates this time of year, but for those Minnesotans who have earned a spot on the USA’s women’s hockey team, they didn’t expect to among those vacationing right now.
Neil Sheehy's unique healing approach helps keep players in the game
Neil Sheehy is a former NHL player turned player agent. He also uses a special technique to help players bounce back from injuries faster as well as keep them feeling their best. (PHOTO BY TIM MCNIFF) It is the dream of every hockey player born and raised in Minnesota. You are playing in the championship game at the State High School Tournament, with the score tied in overtime.
Ms. Hockey/Sr. Goalie award announcement will be Saturday, April 10
An award ceremony honoring Ms. Hockey and the Senior Goalie of the Year Award will be held Saturday afternoon at the Coon Rapids Ice Center, Let’s Play Hockey announced Tuesday. The announcement of the winner was initially scheduled for April 6, but it was pushed back in order to hold a short in-person ceremony while meeting Covid-19 guidelines.
Hill-Murray players file lawsuit against MSHSL
Nine Members of the Hill-Murray High School Hockey Team filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning against the Minnesota State High School League with the hopes that they will be able to play their state quarterfinal game against Wayzata Wednesday at 11 a.m. or possibly on Thursday.
5 finalists for Senior Goalie of the Year Award announced
5 finalists for Senior Goalie of the Year Award announced 03/27/2021, 1:00pm CDT By Bryan Zollman The five finalists for the senior goalie of the year award have been announced. The finalists will vie for title of Senior Goalie of the Year, which will be announced April 6. The finalists are: Brynn DuLac of Minnetonka, Carly Greene of Benilde-St. Margaret's, Alexandra Pellicci of Prior Lake, Maria Widen of Burnsville, and Abbie Thompson of Mounds View.
Ms. Hockey Finalists announced
Visit the virtual Let's Play Hockey Expo Five finalists have been named for the coveted Ms. Hockey Award. Emma Conner (Edina), Rory Guilday (Minnetonka), Peyton Hemp (Andover), Genevieve Hendrickson (Warroad) and Claire Vekich (Grand Rapids/Greenway) will vie for the title of Ms. Hockey 2021. The winner will be announced on April 6 during a broadcast of the award, which will also include the announcement of the Senior Goalie of the Year Award as well as coaches of the year, and all-state awards.
10 Semifinalists named for Senior Goalie of the Year Award
Let's Play Hockey announced the 10 semifinalists for the Senior Goalie of the Year Award. The award, in it's 23rd year, is given to the state's top female high school goaltender. The 10 goalies have combined for 102 wins and a 1.84 goals against average.
10 FINALISTS NAMED FOR MS. HOCKEY AWARD
Let’s Play Hockey has announced the 10 finalists for the coveted Ms. Hockey Award. The award is given to the state’s top high school female player. All 10 finalists are committed to play Division I hockey and eight of the 10 players will be playing in this week’s state tournament.
Hanzel looks to lead Rochester Lourdes to three-peat in Section 1A
Rochester Lourdes is a two-time section repeat winner, and will look to make it a three-peat in 2021. The Eagles have one of the top players in the state in defenseman Maggie Hanzel. Hanzel had 17 goals and 27 assists last season and will lead the offense again in 2021. They also have some young scoring talent in forwards Sawyer and Delaney Fleming, who combined for 21 goals and 26 assists last season. Sawyer is just an eight grader and Delaney is a sophomore.
I’ll take the smaller guys
It’s not the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the FIGHT in the dog.
Staying and playing
For Aaron Huglen, staying and playing with his Roseau High School team as a senior was a no-brainer. “I wanted to go back to try to get to the state tournament,” he said. “And there aren’t a lot of things more special than playing with the group of guys you’ve grown up with. So it was a pretty easy decision for me.” Huglen was one of five Minnesota high school players drafted in this year’s NHL Entry Draft. The Roseau native was chosen by the Buffalo Sabres in the fourth round, 102nd overall.
Officially Speaking: The cost of “amateur” hockey
For years, OS has been reporting that certain regulations and governing-body rules in amateur hockey have caused the sport to become much more expensive than necessary, and parents should investigate their respective organizations for full disclosure of all costs and expenditures assessed by their non-for-profit clubs.
2018-19 MGHCA All-State Selections Announced
2018-19 MGHCA All-State Selections Announced 02/24/2019, 10:45am CST By Staff Reports 2018-19 MGHCA CLASS AA ALL-STATE POSITION PLAYER SCHOOL/TEAM D Rachel Golnitz Forest Lake D Maggie Nicholson Minnetonka D Addi Scribner East Ridge D Mallory Uihlein Edina D Madeline Wethington Blake D Emily Wisnewski Wayzata F CC Bowlby Edina F Addie Burton Blake F Izzy Daniel Blake F Lily Delianedis Blake F Peyton Hemp Andover F Katie Kaufman Hill-Murray F Kelsey King Elk River/Zimmerman F Sydney Langseth...
What kind of parents are we?
Some of you know, and many of you do not know, that I have a brother Michael, also known as “Bones.” Bones is an Army veteran who has lived (and served) on the street for the past 45 years. Homeless. This man has been a fixture on Rice Street in St. Paul. People are always proud to tell me they know him, or saw him, or bought him a sandwich. I appreciate this. Bones is an interesting guy. He has led an unconventional life. Quite an amazing life in many ways.
42 Minnesota natives on 2018-19 NHL Opening Night Rosters
The 2018-19 season begins tonight with four games
2018-19 college hockey preseason polls and awards
Minnesota Duluth defenseman Scott Perunovich (Hibbing, Minn.) looks to lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships. Let's Play Hockey photo by Mike Thill
Five dealbreakers for scouts
After spending the past 10 years coaching players who aspire to play hockey at the college hockey level and speaking with the scouts who are constantly narrowing down their shortlists of players who they are interested in, I know exactly how much the little details of the game make a big difference. If you want to play at the next level, you have to pay attention to the little details and avoid these five dealbreakers for college coaches: 1.
Motzko returns to Gophers as head coach
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota Athletics Director Mark Coyle announced that he has hired Bob Motzko as the new head coach of the Gopher Men's Hockey program, pending Board of Regents approval of the agreement. Motzko, a Minnesota native and an assistant coach for the two most recent Gopher national championship teams, has spent the past 13 years building St. Cloud State into a national program.
Replay introduced to Girls State Tournament for first time
Replay will be used for the first time during the girls state high school hockey tournament this weekend. Any review of a goal scored will take place prior to the start of the next play. When a play is reviewed, the public address announcer will say, “A play is under review.” While the play is under review, replays will not be shown during the review by the replay official.
Sandelin's Fourth Goal Caps Exciting Comeback Win for Hermantown
Down by two goals entering the third period of Friday’s Class A semifinal, Hermantown coach Bruce Plante remained supremely certain that his team could complete the comeback. “We weren’t nervous and we weren’t panicky,” Plante said after the game. “We were a little tired, but otherwise I knew the guys were going to respond.” Respond they did.
Five Unanswered Goals Power Grand Rapids Past Maple Grove
Trent Klatt would appreciate it if his team would refrain from trying to send him into cardiac arrest. “For some reason we like to play better when we are down a couple goals,” Klatt said on Thursday night.
Second Period Scoring Burst Lifts Moorhead Over Hill-Murray
It took two laser-like shots to help send Moorhead to the Class AA semifinals. Juniors Carter Randklev and Matt Herbranson burned a pair of wristers past Hill-Murray’s Jake Begley 38 seconds apart in the second period, giving the Spuds (23-3-3) a 3-1 lead that turned into a 4-2 victory over the Pioneers. “Hats off to Moorhead,” Hill-Murray head coach Bill Lechner said after the game. “When they had their opening they finished.
St. Cloud Cathedral Caps Class A Quarterfinals With 6-3 Win Over East Grand Forks
In surfing terms, it's waves that are chased, but on Wednesday night, it was the East Grand Forks Green Wave that had trouble keeping up. St. Cloud Cathedral answered an early goal by the Green Wave with a pair of their own in the first period, with freshman Nate Warner and senior Reagan Garden scoring once each. “It seemed like we were always chasing Cathedral,” Green Wave head coach Scott Koberinski said after the game.
Northfield Tops Mahtomedi 3-1 in Class A Quarterfinal
For the second time in as many games, the higher seed is heading to Mariucci Arena for the consolation round of the Class A State Tournament. Unseeded Northfield erased a 1-0 deficit with three unanswered goals to earn a spot in the semifinals, edging No. 3 seed Mahtomedi 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon. “We got pucks to the net, but I was disappointed that we didn’t have more traffic (in front),” Mahtomedi head coach Jeff Poeschl said after the loss.
Zwack Leads Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake to First State Tourney Win
Since the Class A state tournament began seeding the top five teams in the field, the first and second-seeded teams have never lost in the quarterfinals. That all changed today. For the first time in seeding-era history, one of those top seeds fell in the first round. And, for possibly the first time in any tournament history, the good luck charm for the winning team was a sweater emblazoned with cat faces.
Big Third Period Propels No. 1 Edina Over Farmington
A highlight-reel goal and a 49-save performance were not enough for Farmington, as the Tigers surrendered three goals in the third period of Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Edina in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament. The Hornets (26-1-1) drew first blood with a goal from senior forward Olivia Kilberg, a lead that was quashed when Tiger junior Ellie Moser notched a shorthanded goal worthy of looped replay.
Blaine Starts Fast, Routs Roseau 7-1 in First AA Quarterfinal
Allowing Blaine to score early in a game is akin to an adult offering a child just one bite of a cupcake. Over time, with persistence and with the opponent worn down, the child will consume the entire pastry, and, likewise, the Bengals will cruise to victory. “When we score, our energy level and tempo has really increased,” Blaine head coach Steve Guider said after his Bengals thumped Roseau 7-1 in Thursday’s first Class AA quarterfinal at the Xcel Energy Center.
Boland, Northfield Topple Mound Westonka 2-0
Northfield head coach Brent Bielenberg can point to a single game in which junior goaltender Mallory Tidona turned her season around. “Really the biggest turning point was the Hudson (Wis.) game n the Farmington tournament,” Bielenberg explained. “She shut them out and made like 30 saves,” Bielenberg continued. “Since then she’s just been rock solid.” Rock solid might be an understatement. Since the aforementioned game, played on Dec.
Blake Blanks Alexandria 3-0 to Advance to Semifinals
In the 2016 Class A State Tournament, Blake junior goaltender Anna Kruesel earned a shutout victory in the first round. In 2017, Kruesel repeated the feat, but had a much more enjoyable experience doing so. Kruesel made 20 saves to earn the blank sheet as her top-seeded Bears (25-2-1) downed Alexandria 3-0 on Wednesday night in the Class A state quarterfinals. The 20-save performance was a far cry from last season, where Kruesel only had make two saves in a 10-0 shutout win over Luverne.
State of Hockey Summer Training Programs Come to Close
Each Summer, Minnesota high school hockey teams train together for six to eight weeks in preparation for the coming season. Every summer training program (STP) has its own version of on- and off-ice training, but each has an element of both offered for its players. A typical program will skate two to three times per week with their high school coaching staff and also do dryland skill development and weight training to get their game ready for the season which is now just three months away.
GIRLS' CLASS AA FINAL: Eden Prairie Tops Maple Grove 3-2 in Overtime Thriller
It had been over 158 minutes since Eden Prairie’s Lauren Oberle scored her last goal, and while skating possibly her last career shift, broke the drought at the best time. Oberle, a senior, one-timed a pass from junior forward Naomi Rogge during a five-on-three power play to give the Eagles a 3-2 win in overtime in Saturday’s Class 2A final, ending Maple Grove’s impressive run in its first State Tournament appearance. “I just saw everyone pile on top of me,” Oberle said after the game.
GIRLS' CLASS A FINAL: Burton, Bullock Soar in Blake's Dominating Run to Tourney Title
Carly Bullock left her fourth straight Class 1A State title game without a voice, but she did have the all-time Minnesota State High School League goals record for tournament play. The Blake senior forward scored three goals and added three assists to power the Bears (26-2-2) to their third state title in four years, thumping St. Paul United (23-6-1) 8-0 in Saturday’s championship game.
State of Hockey
We Are the State of Hockey In Minnesota, hockey is more than a game. It's a part of life. It embodies who we are - capturing our passion, our commitment and our joy. It's a connection to previous and future generations and a source of pride for Minnesotans, from Roseau to Red Wing. Our State. Our Game.
Where are they now? Record-Setting Golden Gopher Tim Harrer
Where are they now? Record-Setting Golden Gopher Tim Harrer 01/20/2016, 10:30am CST By Tony Scott Superb Scorer Was Hero to Many Young Fans in Late 1970s Tim Harrer's 53 goals in 1979-80 broke John Mayasich's and Dick Dougherty's shared record and still stands as the Gophers all-time single-season goal scoring mark. Credit: University of Minnesota Athletics. Author's Note: Kids often dream of playing their favorite sport for their favorite pro or college team.
ICYMI: Upper Midwest High School Elite League 2015 Recap
The Upper Midwest High School Elite League came to a close on Nov. 8 as Team CCM edged Team Tier I Elite Gray 4-2 in the finals of the CCM International Invitational Tournament. The IIT capped off a fall season that saw Team North record its first winning fall season since 2012, posting a record of 20-4-0 on its way to claiming the UMHSEL regular season and playoff crowns.
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